Sr. Cell Development Engineer - Cathode

ABOUT ONE

To transition away from fossil fuels, the world needs innovative and affordable technology. That’s why Our Next Energy (ONE) is accelerating the world’s progress toward net zero emissions and electrification by doubling the range of electric vehicles, prioritizing safety and building a sustainable U.S. supply chain.

Founded in 2020, ONE designs and manufactures energy storage solutions for vehicles, renewables and the grid that use safe, sustainable LFP chemistry based on abundant iron. ONE is headquartered in Novi, Michigan with offices in Fremont, CA, Torrance, CA and Boston. In 2024, ONE will start battery production at the ONE Circle Gigafactory in Van Buren Township, Michigan.

ONE is looking for a wide variety of innovators to help us engineer, test, improve, manufacture and market our technology. Join the #ONETeam today and be part of Forbes #3 “Best Startups to Work For” in 2023.

ONE team members are transforming the energy storage industry worldwide. The future will arrive faster if we build it together. Visit www.one.ai/careers for more information.

Job Summary

Our Sr. Cell Development Engineer- Cathode will be responsible for developing and commercializing next generation electrode material, designs, and processing techniques. They will be responsible for developing material, formulation and electrode specifications and validate that electrode design meets the production requirements.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Leads cathode development activities including CW, density, and porosity specification, as well as conductive package design, binder package design and A/C ratio specification for designated applications.
• Performs statistical data analysis for electrode & cell quality.
• Develop property-process-performance relationships for different LFP materials with other cathode components
• Analyzes and evaluates cell data to determine direct and interaction effects of the materials under evaluation and plan and execute root-cause analysis of failures and appropriate action incurred over course of development and launch.
• Lead the development of electrochemical and chemical characterization methods for cathode materials, interactions between cathode and other cell components to meet the cell performance targets
• Works with external suppliers, vendors, National Labs, and Academic institutions.
• Develops and creates reports, comprehensive technical specifications, drawings and DFMEA.
• Provides engineering support to manufacturing teams to resolve manufacturing process issues.
• Effectively communicate with broader teams in the US and abroad.
• Interface closely with R&D scientists to increase understanding of failure modes, performance, and life expectancy of lithium-ion cells.
• Assist with engineering-level test builds together with quality and operations personnel at manufacturing facilities.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain team and Supplier Quality team in their communication with material suppliers, related to the development and validation of detailed material specifications for new materials, and the resolution of any quality issues
• Understand and adhere to program timelines
• Perform any additional duties as assigned

Qualifications

To perform the job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

• MS or PhD in Chemical, Material, Electrical Engineering, chemistry or physics
• +5 years related experienced in a structured R&D / product development environment.
• Demonstrated expertise and success in design and development of components and assemblies for lithium-ion battery
• Competency in the DFMEA process. Working experience with Quality & Reliability disciplines (APQP, 8D, …)
• Experience in design and development of batteries/cell (and ideally lithium ion cells)
• Familiarity with Statistical Analysis and Design of Experiments (Minitab) preferred
• Good knowledge and experience in cathode material such as LFP, LMFP, LFO, etc.
• Good understanding and experience cathode materials and their electrochemical performance
• Hands-on experience with developing technical specifications for components and assemblies
• Experience with making coin cell, pouch cell, cell testing, and electrochemical data analysis.
• Has worked with moisture sensitive materials in a glovebox or dry room, and has cell teardown and failure analysis experience.
• Understanding of electrochemical characterization e.g. ac impedance, cycle life testing
• Excellent analytical skills, data analysis and statistical interpretation
• Experience with developing technical specifications for materials
• Individual drive and flexibility to work in a rapidly developing entrepreneurial environment
• Resourceful, organized, with strong attention to detail and excellent interaction skills, capable of rapidly integrating observations and results into subsequent development activities

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Sit at a desk and work on a computer for prolong periods of time
• Walk/move around and/or travel as needed

Work Schedule

• Full-time 40 hours and generally scheduled Monday through Friday 8am-5pm EST
• Work schedule to be established with supervisor to ensure Company’s client and business needs are met
• Flexible work schedule and environment, see company policy if applicable.

Education

Masters or better in Electrical Engineering or related field.

Experience

5 years: MS or PhD in Chemical, Material, Electrical Engineering, chemistry or physics +5 years related experienced in a structured R&D / product development environment.